PUBLICATION

Transcriptional regulation of mitfa accounts for the sox10 requirement in zebrafish melanophore development

Authors
Elworthy, S., Lister, J.A., Carney, T.J., Raible, D.W., and Kelsh, R.N.
ID
ZDB-PUB-030527-19
Date
2003
Source
Development (Cambridge, England)   130: 2809-2818 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Carney, Tom, Elworthy, Stone, Kelsh, Robert, Lister, James A., Raible, David
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Crosses, Genetic
  • DNA-Binding Proteins/biosynthesis
  • DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental/physiology
  • High Mobility Group Proteins/metabolism*
  • Melanophores/metabolism*
  • Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor
  • Mutation
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • SOXE Transcription Factors
  • Transcription Factors/biosynthesis
  • Transcription Factors/genetics
  • Transcription Factors/metabolism*
  • Zebrafish/embryology*
  • Zebrafish/metabolism
  • Zebrafish Proteins
PubMed
12736222 Full text @ Development
Abstract
The transcription factor Sox10 is required for the specification, migration and survival of all nonectomesenchymal neural crest derivatives including melanophores. sox10(-/-) zebrafish lack expression of the transcription factor mitfa, which itself is required for melanophore development. We demonstrate that the zebrafish mitfa promoter has sox10 binding sites necessary for activity in vitro, consistent with studies using mammalian cell cultures that have shown that Sox10 directly regulates Mitf expression. In addition, we demonstrate that these sites are necessary for promoter activity in vivo. We show that reintroduction of mitfa expression in neural crest cells can rescue melanophore development in sox10(-/-) embryos. This rescue of melanophores in sox10(-/-) embryos is quantitatively indistinguishable from rescue in mitfa(-/-) embryos. These findings show that the essential function of sox10 in melanophore development is limited to transcriptional regulation of mitfa. We propose that the dominant melanophore phenotype in Waardenburg syndrome IV individuals with SOX10 mutations is likely to result from failure to activate MITF in the normal number of melanoblasts.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping